RURAL UCKFIELD

Community Contact Wealden Tuesday 02 September to Tuesday 16 September 2008

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Please remember that if you are a victim or witness to a crime please contact Police on either 999 or the non emergency number 0845 6070999 as I can not record crimes or take immediate action.

APPEALS, MESSAGES AND NEWS

Good News

Multi Agency Operation in Uckfield

Friday, September 5th, saw the launch of 'Operation Airwalk' in Uckfield. This was the first of a number of multi-agency operations which are planned for the Wealden District targeting issues which are a concern to the local community. The issues which were focussed on included anti-social use of vehicles, speeding, rogue traders, fly tipping, abandoned and unroadworthy vehicles, vehicle taxation, and the use of red diesel.

The Operation was formulated with the assistance of the Safer Wealden Partnership, and the agencies involved included Sussex Police, East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, Wealden District Council, Wealden Licensing, VOSA, Driver and Vehicle Licensing Authority, and Customs and Excise.

Motorists who were found to be speeding were invited to attend a hard-hitting presentation at Uckfield Community Fire Station, presented by East Sussex Fire and Rescue Service, regarding the consequences of speeding or antisocial driving. The presentation was designed to have maximum impact, and is delivered, in conjunction with Sussex Police, as an alternative to prosecution.

Station Manager Richard Moon said, "The firefighters at Uckfield Community Fire Station worked with Sussex Police to tackle motorists who were speeding.  We saw nearly forty motorists during the course of the operation and delivered vital road safety information to them.  Many of the motorists concerned commented on the benefits of our working with the Police in this way to deliver educational messages as an alternative to enforcement.  The day was very productive and East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service will continue to work with the Police in this way to try and reduce the number of persons killed and seriously injured each year on the roads of East Sussex".

The partner agencies were all working together targeting vehicles on the A22, and during the operation a number of vehicles were stopped which were found to be in an unroadworthy or dangerous condition, and these were prohibited from continuing until the defects were rectified.

Wealden District Council attended Forest Row and removed a quantity of rubbish and damaged trees.

A number of abandoned and untaxed vehicles were identified and dealt with on local estates.

Local Police Community Support Officers operated a Crime Prevention stall at Tesco, where they were on hand to offer crime prevention advice, and were selling the latest crime prevention devices. A confidential 'advice surgery' was also held during the day at Uckfield library.

North Wealden Sergeant  Dave Price said, "Despite the appalling weather on the day, all of the agencies worked as one, and I am pleased with the results. A number of the objectives for the day were set following consultation with the local Community at Neighbourhood Panel meetings. More of these Operations are to come and I look forward to more success."

Police Property Act Fund – Polegate Playscheme

The Sussex Police, Police Property Act Fund, has awarded £500 to Polegate Playscheme. The donation will assist in replacing old and damaged equipment which had to be thrown away earlier in the year. The play scheme is run by a number of volunteers at Polegate School who offer a number of activities to the children who attend.

The cheque was presented to Jo Furlong (Chair Person of Polegate Playscheme) who said “The money is gratefully received by the scheme and will be used to purchase new table tennis equipment. Table tennis is a popular activity for the children and we unfortunately had to throw a lot of the old equipment away as it was damaged. All of the new equipment we purchase will also be used by Polegate School and be available to local clubs and associations attached to the school”.

Hopefully the donation will assist Polegate Playscheme in achieving their aims and make the activities provided even more enjoyable for the children.

Undeclared bank accounts lead to benefit fraud – from Wealden District Council

Two Wealden residents, who claimed council tax and housing benefits while failing to declare joint bank accounts, pleaded guilty to eight charges of benefit fraud at Eastbourne Magistrates Court on August 27.

Patrick Jasper Lee (57) of The Avenue Hailsham, and Elizabeth Mary Gotts (50) of Compton Terrace, Hailsham, had each, on four separate occasions between 2002 and 2006, failed to declare the existence of joint bank accounts when they had applied for housing and council tax benefits.

As a result Mr Lee had received £5,741 in housing benefit and £2,882 in council tax benefit, and Miss Gotts had received £6,292 in housing benefit and £1,622 in council tax benefit, money to which they were not entitled.

The amount of money  which Mr Lee and Miss Gotts had in undeclared joint accounts varied, but at one stage the maximum in the accounts totalled £56,800.  Wealden District Council Benefits Investigation Officers became aware of the existence of these undeclared accounts as a result of a standard data matching exercise.

Both Mr Lee and Miss Gotts pleaded guilty to all charges. Mr Lee was sentenced to 150 hours community work to be carried out within 12 months and ordered to pay Wealden costs of £375. Miss Gotts was given a 8pm to 8am evening curfew order, to run for three months,  and ordered to pay Wealden's cost of £500.

"Supporting people who cannot afford to pay their rent or council tax is an important use of public money, but applicants should be honest and open about their own financial resources," said Councillor Bob Standley, Cabinet member for Finance and Assets.

"It is totally unfair on other tax payers to take public support while sitting on  banks accounts or other forms of savings which they have failed to declare. We will have no hesitation in prosecuting such cases when they inevitably come to light."

Please let Wealden Benefits department know if you are claiming benefits and there is a change in your financial circumstances.  You can contact our Benefits department on 01323 443500 or use the online form which can be found  in the Social Care section of the Wealden web site, www.wealden.gov.uk.

Any suspected fraud relating to housing or council tax benefits can be reported using a dedicated freephone Benefit Fraud Hotline – 0800 318849. An online benefit fraud reporting facility is also available via the Council's website.

Press Releases

Frant- Burglary

Sometime between 11am on Wednesday 10th September and 11am on Thursday September a door to a detached house in the Ely Grange area of Frant  was found to be broken and reported by post delivery staff. Jewellery and silver  was found to be missing by the occupants when they returned home

If anyone has any information regarding this matter they are asked to contact PC Ken Carrington at Crowborough Police Station on 0845 60 70 999 quoting serial 607  11/09/08 alternatively Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 .

Theft  - Groombridge

Around 5.45pm on Saturday 6th September the High Rocks Inn had stock taken from the premises. Two youths were seen to take food products and were each carrying a bag which they placed the food in.

If anyone has any information regarding this matter they are asked to contact PC Katie Price at Crowborough Police Station on 0845 60 70 999 quoting serial 1429  of 06/09/08 alternatively Crimestoppers anonymously on 0800 555 111 .

Burglary  -  Nutley

Sometime between 10.40am and 12.55pm on Tuesday 2nd September a burglary took place in the High Street, Nutley. The property was entered and jewellery taken. A distinctive emerald and diamond half eternity ring in white gold and a Raymond Weill ‘ Lady Othello’ ladies wristwatch were taken.

If anyone has any information please can they contact PC Katie Price at Uckfield Police Station on 0845 60 70 999 quoting serial 806  of 02/09/08 alternately Crimestoppers  anonymously  0800 555 111

Theft -  Hartfield

Sometime between 12.30pm and 1.15pm on Wednesday 27th August a Mercedes Vito van was broken into whilst parked in Castlefields, Hartfield. The person responsible forced their way into the van and removed a Bosch Chopsaw and a Dewalt angle grinder valued over £250 .

If anyone has any information please can they contact PC Rob Francis at Uckfield Police Station on 0845 60 70 999 quoting serial 978 of 27/08/08 alternately Crimestoppers  anonymously  0800 555 111 

Messages

Beware the “cashback” money transfer fraud – from Trading Standards

Trading standards officers are warning of a “cashback” money transfer fraud after consumers in East Sussex were targeted. 

The victims are people selling items or services, particularly on the internet. They get an ‘offer’ from a person supposedly living overseas, who is prepared to pay over the odds for items, particularly cars. The catch comes when this buyer asks for the extra money to be sent to a third party to cover the shipping costs.

The victim apparently receives the money for the item in their bank and sends the extra amount for shipping. Unfortunately the scammer has paid by stolen or forged cheques and the extra shipping money has gone to the third party who turns out to be the scammer.

This is a clever scam as the victim actually receives what appears to be payment into their account before parting with money themselves. If in doubt, refuse to accept any deal that involves the transferring of part of the money to a supposed third party. As soon as the seller indicates they are not prepared to do this, the scammer will lose interest in buying the item.

If in doubt about the status of funds in your account from any suspicious source, ask your bank to verify in writing that the funds can be safely drawn on. Your bank will not reimburse you for any money you lose if you are taken in by such a scam.

Anyone believing they may have been targeted by this scam should contact trading standards on 08454040506.

Inland Revenue Tax rebate scam

Some of the Community Contact members have made me aware that they have received an email from HM Revenue & Customs (HMRC) stating that the recipient is eligible to receive a tax rebate and to follow a link to another webpage page. The recipient only has 48 hours in which to respond.

This is a hoax, it is part of phishing scam whereby the scammer can obtain your personal details and use them to obtain goods, credit cards, loans etc in your name. Guess what, you’ll be accountable and have to prove that these debts do not belong to you. Don’t fall victim.

Payment Transfer Job Scam Emails

Essentially these are emails that offer a very small amount of  ‘work’ your behalf and you act as the agent for receiving their funds, and that you will receive a percentage of the profit made. You may well receive that percentage but remember that these individuals are money laundering and that by accepting the ‘job offer’ you are involved and will be accountable to the authorities too.

Read this below which has been taken directly from the Hoaxslayer website for pointers. Click on http://www.hoax-slayer.com/money-tranfer-job-scams.shtml for full information

• ‘Any company or organization that expects you to accept payments into a personal account and then forward it elsewhere should be treated with the utmost suspicion.
• No legitimate company is ever likely to employ someone to handle money transfers, sight unseen, via an unsolicited email. Employees that handle large sums of the company's money are sure to be well vetted beforehand and well-qualified for the tasks involved.
• Funds transfers might be part of a legitimate job, but such transfers would always use the company's own bank accounts, not the employee's personal account.
• No legitimate company is going to "pay" an employee by allowing him or her to keep a percentage of funds to be transferred.
• In a progressively global economy, there are many ways for a company to accept overseas payments. Any claim that a company needs an individual to handle such payments via a personal bank account is likely to be bogus.’

A quick reminder to all to NEVER respond to emails purporting to be from a named bank requesting your bank details. Your bank will never ask for account details in an email. If you don’t even bank with them, why are they asking and why would you need to respond?

Free Local Life Event – Trading Standards

The event will take place on Saturday the 4th October 2008 (10am – 5pm) at the Winter Garden in Eastbourne. With fun for all the family and FREE entry we are sure it is going to be a great day out!

What's on at the event…

• Visit the home improvements centre to get advice on your latest DIY project or find ideas on how to transform your garden.
• Sit back, relax and take in the fashion shows.
• Sample the local wines and produce in the food hall. Make sure you bring a shopping trolley to carry all your purchases home.
• Buy jewellery, hand-made pottery, cards, paintings, silk flowers, plants, gifts and many more accessories for your home, from our craft area.
• Watch the cookery demonstrations and learn how to make fantastic dishes using your favourite local ingredients, while the kids whip up their favourite fruit smoothie on the Smoothiemobile!
• Meet the presenters from Sovereign Radio as they broadcast live from the event between 10am - 2pm
• Try out the latest gadgets for your home. 
• If you are considering purchasing a new car or looking for someone to service your existing motor then come along and chat to the professionals.
• Get advice on your lifestyle by talking to the experts.

Trading Standards "Scamnesty" campaign

East Sussex County Council Trading Standards is launching a month long  'Scamnesty' campaign asking the public to help in the fight against scams, which cost the UK an estimated £3.5 billion a year.

Trading Standards are asking everyone who has received suspicious mailings to hand them in at their local library so that the extent of the problem in East Sussex can be better gauged. 

Councillor Bob Tidy, Lead Member for Community Safety,  said: "In recent weeks our Trading Standards team has dealt with a number of disturbing reports involving several victims who have sent off their life savings, sometimes tens of thousands of pounds. The losses can be devastating and we want to ensure more people don't fall victim to these scams".

This "Scamnesty" is an information gathering exercise with the intention of gauging the current problems in the County and also to raise awareness of the seriousness of the problem. The losses can be devastating, and it is not just the elderly that can fall victim to them".

In one recent incident, the victim, who had already sent away tens of thousands of pounds to the fraudster, was seeking to re-mortgage their house to raise over £100,000 more in order to claim a bogus inheritance of millions of pounds.  In another, an elderly lady was sending nearly £1,000 a week to the scammers for the best part of a year.

The scams come in many forms, and commonly involve Canadian and Spanish lottery prizes, and increasingly, people who have supposedly died in a foreign country leaving a large unclaimed inheritance. One thing they all have in common is that the "winner" has to part with money in order to claim their money, although this may not always be immediately apparent from the first contact.

If you are told that you have won a prize but have to buy goods, pay 'taxes' or other fees before the money can be transferred to you, please stop and think before sending money off as you are almost certainly being conned.

If in doubt, contacting the Consumer Direct advice line, 08454 040506, before sending any money off could save you from losing large sums of money and becoming involved with ruthless criminals.

Reminder: Give us your views – from the Safer Wealden Partnership

Meet the senior representatives of the Safer Wealden Partnership and influence local priorities. The following meetings will be held at the venues below. Each session will be followed by questions and doors open at 6:45pm for tea and coffee.

• Wednesday 10^th September Uckfield at the Civic Centre, Civic Approach, Uckfield
• Wednesday 17^th September Crowborough at the Council Offices, Pine Grove, Crowborough
• Wednesday 24^th September Heathfield at the Community Centre, Sheepsetting Lane, Cross in Hand
• Thursday 2^nd October Hailsham at the East Community Centre, Vega Close, Hailsham

Crime prevention advice about home security

Most burglaries are committed by opportunist thieves.

In 2 out of 10 burglaries no force is used, they simply enter through an open door or window. It is very difficult to make your house totally burglar proof, but you can defeat most burglars.

Try looking at your home through a burglar's eyes - look for places they could break in unseen. How strong are your locks on both the windows and doors; are there high hedges, trees or fences for the opportunistic thief to hide behind and hide vulnerable windows?

The enemies of the burglar are noise…

For the full excerpt and advice click on: http://www.sussex.police.uk/
community_safety/home_security.asp

CRIME REPORT

Vehicle Crime

Contact Information

In an emergency dial 999
For less urgent matters call the Sussex Police Call Handling Centre on 0845 60 70 999 (open 24 x 7).
E-mail Sussex Police to report crime, click on http://www.sussex.police.uk/contact_us.asp
Please quote the relevant serial number and date if you are responding to a reported crime, if not, ask to report a crime and request the serial number.

Information about any type of crime can be given anonymously by calling CRIMESTOPPERS (open 24x7) 0800 555111 or email www.crimestoppers-uk.org/

To find out who your local Police Officers and Police Community Support Officers are and how to contact them go to http://www.sussex.police.uk type in your post code and you’ll now find the names of all your local neighbourhood officers. Click on their pictures and you’ll see their personal profiles and contact details.

Free Home Fire Safety Visits by East Sussex Fire & Rescue Service: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
Fire Safety advice available at http://www.esfrs.org/

Other Contacts
Safer Wealden Partnership : Dave Law Anti Social Behaviour Co-ordinator 0845 6070999 ext. 33231 Email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it

Trading Standards: 01323 418200 Email: This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it
British Transport Police: 0800 405040